career, work

Beautiful: What Billy Joel Taught Me About Reinventing My Career

Christa Avampato
Christian Oth for The New York Times
Billy Joel in Sag Harbor, N.Y., with his pug, Sabrina.

On Sunday, I read a New York Times interview with musician Billy Joel. It’s been a decade since he’s recorded an album. He’s continued to write music, as well as mentor young musicians and perform some high-profile concerts, just in a different way, for a different audience, and in a different genre than the music that made him famous. He redefined his music on his terms. He reinvented his work based upon his own evolving tastes and what makes him happy. He chose his path forward rather than feeling trapped by his past.

This interview couldn’t have arrived at a better time for me. I met up with my friend, Marita, on Friday and we had a long talk about the role of work in our lives and how our careers might take shape going forward. Wise, thoughtful, and kind friends like Marita are my rock in this process as I’ll be spending most of the summer re-thinking and re-working my career. Billy Joel’s example serves as inspiration and proof that if we allow our hearts to guide our career paths, we will find our way toward authentic work.

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Published by Christa Avampato

The short of it: Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day. The long of it: My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events. While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series. A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist. My company: I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media: • I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference; • I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable; • I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me. Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.

4 thoughts on “Beautiful: What Billy Joel Taught Me About Reinventing My Career”

  1. Hi Christa, I find myself in the day job/night passion split myself, and enjoy your blog and this post in particular. I am an insurance regulator with a flair for social media and creative marketing by day, and a yoga therapist /teacher by night. I yearn to bring my passion into my days, and have brought yoga to worksites as part of health benefit and wellness programs. If you’re ever up for an interview, I’d love to interview you for my blog!

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I'd love to know what you think of this post! Please leave a reply and I'll get back to you in a jiffy! ~ CRA

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